Gas-vending machine



.1. use.

GAS VENDING MACHINE.

(Application filed Feb. 3, 1898.)

Patented Jan'. '3; I899.

(No Model.)

2 Sheets-Sheet l.

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WITNESSES:

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No. 6I6,9|4. Patented Ian. 3,. I899.

J. GEEN.

GAS VENDING MACHINE.

(Application filed Feb. 3, 1898.)

2 Sheets-Sheet 2.

INVENTOR ATTORNEY I UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

JAMES GEEN, OF HOBOKEN, NElV JERSEY.

GAS-VENDING MACHINE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 616,914, dated January3, 1899.

Application filed February 3, 1898. Serial No. 668,932. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that 1, JAMES GEEN, a citizen of the United States, residingat Hoboken, Union county, New Jersey, have invented certain new anduseful Improvements in Gas- Vending Machines, of which the following isa full, clear, and exact description.

' This invention relates to toll apparatus for gas or other fluid metersin which a predetermined quantity of the fluid commodity may be procuredby the insertion of a coin.

The object of the present invention is to produce a simple, cheap, andeffective combination of parts constructed in such manner as to bereadily attached, if desired, to gasmeters of known make and adapted tooperate when controlled by a coin of proper denomination to turn on asupply of gas, entrap the coin, and automatically cut off said supplywhen a quantity of gas of the value of said coin has been consumed.

The invention consists of the constructio and combination of partshereinafter described, and illustrated in the accompanying drawings, inwhich- Figure l is a front elevation of a gas meter provided with myimproved apparatus. Fig. 2 is an enlarged horizontal section of thesame, taken on the line 2 2. Fig. 3 is a section, taken on the line 3 3of Fig. 1, looking from left to right. Fig. 4 is a detail showing theposition of certain parts when the gas is flowing. Fig. 5 is a detailshowing the position of certain parts when the gas is cut oif. Fig. 6 isa detail of same when the gasis flowing. tuating-shaft and connectedparts with a coin in operating position. Fig. 8 is a section on the line8 8 of Fig. 7. Fig. 9 is a section on the line 9 9 of Fig. 7. Fig. 10illustrates a signal attachment. Fig. 11 illustrates a detail thereof.

Referring to the drawings by letter, A represents a gasmeter in whichthe gas in passin g therethrough from inlet-pipe a to outletpipe toimparts rotary motion to a vertical shaft 13. I do not consider itnecessary to describe or illustrate the manner in which said shaft isactuated, as meters operating in 50 this fashion are in common use andare well known. It should be understood, however,

Fig. 7 is-an enlarged detail of the acthat when said shaft is heldstationary no gas can pass through the meter. The registering devicealso may be of any desired construction, and it and the meter mechanismcooperate in the usual manner to controland measure the flow of gaswhenever the necessary steps to secure said flow have been taken.

A wheel 0, driven .by the registering mech- 6o anism C, is gearedtoidler c, which in turn meshes into a pinion g on a short shaft 9, Fig.3. A disk G is loosely mounted on this shaft, but is connected theretoby the spring 9 and when the gas is flowing rotates with the 6 5registering mechanism at a speed determined by the ratio of gear betweenthe several transmitting-wheels. A notch is cut in the periphery of thedisk, as indicated at 9 -Normally the gas is cut olf by a device whichat once serves to lock the registering mechanism as well as the shaft B.This locking device consists of a lever D, mount-- ed intermediate itsextremities on a horizontal shaft E, the short end of said lever standing within the notch g and the longer end engaging the vertical bolt F,normally projected by spring f, Figs. 3 and 4, into the path of movementof an arm B, carried by and extending at right angles from shaft B.

The shaft E extends through the wallA of the meter and projects a shortdistance into a box or receptable J, fixedly secured to the side of themeter, and mounted directly in line with the projecting end of shaft Eis a rotatable stud K, actuated by a crank or handle k. The stud K andthe end of shaft E form hearings or trunnions for another shaft oroscillating body M, having a slot or recess 1% therein located directlyunder a chute N 0v and constituting a coin-receiver. The inner end ofthe stud K is bifurcated, as shown, and forms (in dotted lines, Fig. 2)a continuation of said recess m when the crank is in the position shownin Figs. 1, 2, and 7, which po- 5 sition it normally assumes by gravity.The inner end of the oscillating receiver M is provided with a lateralslot m, formed with a beveled shoulder m which is adapted underconditions hereinafter explained to contact with a pin 6, projectingfrom shaft E, and transmit motion from the receiver to said shaft. Theshoulder further provides for a slight longitudinal movement of thereceiver on its bearings against the tension of spring m Normally thereceiver M is locked against oscillatory motion by a pivoted detent orlatch W, engaging notch m which is located so that when the detent is inengagement therewith the slot in the receiver M will be in such aposition as to receive the coin from the chute N. An extension w on saiddetent projects closely adjacent chute N and recess m. With the receiverthus locked the crank may be turned around and around without affectingany of the other working parts.

Vhen itis desired to procure a supply of gas, a coin, such as atwenty-five-cent silver piece, is dropped into the chute N, and therebydirected into the recess m and bifurcated end of stud K, locking saidstud and receiver together. This done, the crank is turned, forcing theedge of the coin against the extension w, raising the same anddisengaging the detent from the notch m On further rotation of the crankthe extension rides up over the edge of the coin and drops behind thesame, thus preventing the coin being returned to alinement with thechute to be withdrawn after having performed its functions. The receiveris turned to the position described-that is, with the coinentrappedwithout affecting the shaft E; but continued motion of thereceiver will be transmitted to said shaft, the shoulder m being broughtin contact with the pin e and causing the receiver and shaft E to movetogether. This rocks lever D, releasing disk Gand withdrawing bolt Ffrom path of movement of arm 13',

as indicated in Fig. 4. The lever D having reached the limit of itsrocking movement, the effect of further movement of the receiver againstthe now stationary pin acts on the receiver itself and causes the sameto move longitudinally until the beveled shoulder passes the pin andbrings the open or unobstructed portion of the slot in line therewith,whereupon the receiver may be turned still farther independently ofshaft E until the coin drops therefrom into the receptacle J. Theconnection between the stud K and the receiver now being broken, springm acts and returns the latter to its former locked position. After'theshoulder m passes the pin e spring f tends to restore the normalposition of lever D and shaft E. This is prevented, however, by the factthat the moment disk G is freed spring g which has been held underslight tension, retracts and rotates the disk G sufficiently to carrythe notch out of line with the leverD, thus causing said lever ondropping to rest upon the unbroken periphery of the disk and retain thebolt F in its withdrawn position until the disk G makes a completerevolution and the notch g again comes in line with the lever. After thedisk has been relocked the meter will still work until the arm 13 ispositively stopped by the bolt F. The arm B moves much faster than theregistering mechanism, so this extra mo tion' as transmitted to shaft gis slight, but is sufficient when taken up by spring 9 to react on diskG, when it is freed from the detaining-lever D and operates the same inthe manner as above described.

If desired, an indicating-hand 1) may be geared to disk G and used inconnection with a simple dial, as a, to show at a glance at any timeafter starting a flow the amount of gas consumed and the amount tocredit of customer.

By preference I provide each meter with a signaling means, whereby theconsumer of the gas is warned at a suitable time, just before the tollapparatus operates to automatically shut off the supply when a quantityof gas of the value of the coin previously inserted has about beenconsumed. By this means the user is enabled to reach the meter beforethe gas is shut off and by the insertion of another coin therebypurchase another quantity of gas of the predetermined amount. By themeans shown the coin should be inserted just as the apparatus looks, sothat the interval between the locking and the unlocking of said meterwill be so short that the gas, if lighted at any point in the pipesystem, will not go out,by reason of the fact that there will be enoughgas in the pipes beyond the meter to feed the flame until the pressureis again turned on. It is of course manifest that by a slightmodification the apparatus may be modified, so that the coin may beinserted before the vending apparatus looks rather than at the verymoment, as above indicated. This warning is given to the consumer by alowering in the flame, and the said warning is accomplished by thefollowing means.

Q, Figs. 2 and 10, illustrates in dotted lines the channel that isprovided in all ordinary gas-meters. R is a suitable valve of anydesired form adapted to partially cut off at a suitable time the flow ofthe gas through said channel. As shown, this valve R is a slide valveand is operated by means of a lever S, pivoted on a suitable standardand operated by means of a cam T, Fig. 11. This cam T is secured upon ashaft T, which also carries a pinion U, meshing with the gear V, whichin turn meshes with the pinion g in the train of wheels previouslydescribed. Thus the cam will operate to partially shut off the flow ofgas through the channel Q once in each revolution of the indicating-handp, and by setting the cam so that it will move said valve just beforethe said indicating-hand 13 completes its revolution the gas will belowered, giving to the consumer the desired warning.

'lVhat I claim is- 1. In toll apparatus for fluid-meters, thecombination with a rotating member driven by the passage of fluidthrough said meter, a stop normally standing in the path of movement ofsaid member, whereby the flow of fluid is checked, a rocking levermounted on a shaft and engaging with said stop and also at intervalswith a second stop moved through said passage of fluid, and meanscontrolled by a proper coin, whereby said shaft is engaged and saidlever rocked to withdraw the stop and release the registering mechanism,as and for the purpose set forth.

2. In toll apparatus forfluid-meters,in combination a rotating memberdriven by the passage of fluid through said meter, a stop normallystanding in the path of movement of said member, whereby the flow offluid is checked, an arm engaging said stop and also engaging a stop ona wheel rotating with the registering mechanism, whereby movement ofsaid mechanism is checked and a spring for rotating said wheel slightlywhen released by said lever, a coin-chute, a manually-operated device,for releasing said rotating member, normally disconnected therewith butadapted to be operatively connected by the passage of a coin throughsaid chute, as and for the purposes set forth In toll apparatus forfluid-meters, the

combination of a rotating part operated by the passage of the fluid, anormally free and independently-moving operating-handle, an

operated shaft adapted to turn and supporting a stop to engage saidrotating part, and a movable intermediate part or receiver, adapted toreceive a coin and connected with said operated shaft by a couplingproviding for a certain amount of slip or lost motion, and means,whereby a connection between the receiver and said handle is provided bythe insertion of said coin, substantially as described.

4:. In toll apparatus for fluid-meters, the combination of a coinreceiver normally locked against movement, a handle normallydisconnected therewith, controlling mechanism for starting and checkinga fluid flow through said meter, and connected with said receiver by acoupling providing for a certain amount of slip or lost motion, andmeans controlled by the insertion of a proper coin whereby said receivermay be unlocked, and by. which coin an interlocking connection betweensaid receiver and handle is established.

5. In toll apparatus for fluid-meters, the combination of a movablecoin-receiver, normally locked, an operating-handle or actuator adaptedto be connected therewith by an inserted coin, a latch controlled bysaid coin and adapted to release the receiver and entrap the coin, ashaft-controlling mechanism for starting and checking a fluid flow, anda coupling between said receiver and shaft whereby the shaft is operatedafter the coin has been entrapped, substantially as de scribed.

6. In a fluid-meter in combination, a part rotated by and controllingthe passage of the fluid, means operated thereby to automatically stopthe rotation of such part and the passage of the fluid, separateautomatic signaling means operated by said rotating part for partiallypreventing the passage of said fluid before said stoppage andcoin-controlled means to control said apparatus.

Signed at New York this 28th day of Jami I ary, 1898.

JAMES GEEN.

Witnesses:

R. C. MITCHELL, JAMES S. OSWALD.

